Impact of Social Media on adolescents

Previously, television and films were deemed as the media platforms that had major effects on the life and development of adolescents. However, with the emergence of social networking sites, these platforms have a higher impact on the lives of teenagers in the modern world. Hypothesis: Social media platforms have both positive and negative effects on the social life of adults as they are developmentally vulnerable. Socialization and communication serve as the leading benefits of media on teenagers. Especially through the use of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace among others, adolescents are presented with an opportunity of accomplishing online most of the tasks that are essential to this group offline. It is now easier for teenagers to access information about possible health concerns easily and anonymously.

Online materials are increasingly available to teens on various topic of this group that comprises of examples like stress reduction, depression signs, and sexually transmitted infections. Availability of health information has also been on importance to teenagers with health problems like chronic illnesses like understanding the need to adhere to medication and fewer missed appointments (Ramasubbu, 2017). With the new SNS being accessible through mobile applications, it has enhanced the opportunities of teenagers to understand their health status and engage health professionals on the issue. According to Shafer et al. According to Scutti (2018), a policy statement released by The American Psychological Association revealed that there is evidence that links video game use and increase in aggressive behavior as well as decline in pro-social behavior among teenagers.

Increased availability of violent video content and involvement by teenagers sets a bad precedent, especially where human targets are used or there are award points for killing. In the wake of recent public shootings in the U. S, most young perpetrators have revealed to have gained motivation from violent video games (Gunter, 2016). However, some scholars are opposed to the notion that violence in the media influences aggressiveness and violent behavior among adolescents. As it is the case with other forms of depression, teenagers who fall victim to ‘Facebook depression’ tend to be socially isolated and they may end up turning to risky sites in search of help. In such sites, they may end up being guided to self-destructive behaviors like substance abuse, alcohol use, and smoking.

In an interview with Dr. Claire Richards, a lead psychologist at the University of Maryland, the expert supported the study’s hypothesis by claiming that SNS affects adolescents both positively and negatively. Some of the notable positive aspects pointed out by Richards comprised of ease of accessibility to information, enhancing social interaction, new friendships, and networking. Conclusively, as a source of information, the SNS have both positive and negative effects on adolescents. Positive effects emanate from the content and activities in various social networking platforms that help teens to improve on their daily lives. These comprise of improved social interactions, learning, improved communication skills, health information, and creating friendships. However, there are negative effects that the SNS have on teens especially due to the fact that they are in a developmental stage and thus easily swayed, negative effects are evidenced by deviant behavior.